Farewell Friday

First Friday - Keene Friend, Myself, Lady Therese, Pigeon Man

Our First Friday had some special significance a couple days ago because it marked the departure of Lady Therese. She’s been our stalwart server for at least the past seven years and at some point adopted our little group as her special project. While I’m sure some of that was due to the generous tips she received but she more than earned that by going the extra mile to make sure we were always treated with the utmost respect and courtesy. She even moved me, Great Aunt, and Soxfather to the front of a long line of waiting diners when we showed up unexpectedly at Brew City one Saturday.

The Distaff Side with my Wife in Center Back

Great Fun

She will be missed and we had a tremendous turnout to honor her. Even my CFO who has been out of work with her latest health crisis made a point to be there. We passed on the ceremonial pigeon that Lady Therese has hosted for the past five years. It is a pointed joke aimed at my assistant GM who styled himself as an eagle and subsequently an owl to thwart truthful examination of his spotty attendance record at First Friday. Lady Therese christened him as “the Pigeon” and the name stuck. I may have been a bit of a help in that area. It was everything a First Friday was supposed to be and further embellished with my Favorite Panamanian’s attendance.

Lady Therese and the Pigeon

The soggy cold weekend made my plans for external work problematic. I did get the first lawn mowing of the year done although I had to forego the areas still under water. Apparently this has been the rainiest April on record. Part of my external work involved digging a trench to bury a perforated pipe to help the low point drain but that will have to wait. This meant extended time in the Man Cave which I summoned the resources to survive. Like most New Englanders I’m itching to get outside to work once winter starts losing its grasp.

BRS In Full Goofy Mode

Megawatt Smile

There was a funny (at least to my wife) moment on Saturday. We made a combined shopping trip which is always fraught with peril considering the two people involved and their diametrically opposed views on the activity. Considering these viewpoints I dropped her off at the big box store while I went across the parking lot to Home Depot to secure what I need for the aforementioned project. All was going swimmingly until the checkout and as I reached for my wallet I realized I had left it back home (something I never do). I meekly made my excuses while charging back across the parking lot to encounter a very bemused Favorite Panamanian who truly enjoyed rescuing my purchases after excising the proper amount of spousal humiliation.

Sundress Saturday

Goofy Faces with Wingman

The two truly charismatic young ladies currently serving their stint as my granddaughters were at their charming best over the weekend. The BRS excelled at her swimming lessons. My son’s turn in the pool this week and the BRS jumped back into the pool from the side for the first time. The FBR demanded to wear her newly acquired (shopping with her abuela) sun dress over her leotard be for heading to gymnastics. She demonstrated her newly acquired shopping acumen on Sunday (three guesses where that came from) when out to acquire a backpack for her upcoming change in day care situations. She demanded a unicorn one but dismissed everything her parents found, wanting to find the “shiny” one she had seen with her abuela (see, no guesses needed). The parents eventually found it for her online.

Finally had a tough time falling asleep last night after watching the Battle of Winterfell on Game of Thrones. I have one word – “ARYA!!!!!”. Best. Television. Ever.

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RECURRING CHARACTERS                                           

BRS - Blog Reader the Sequel - second granddaughter; FBR - First Blog Reader - first granddaughter, ABFA – Amazing Best Family Athlete = my daughter in law, formerly known both as MEF – Most Excellent Fiancé & MEG – Most Excellent Girlfriend; Wingman – my son in law; Keene Friends 1 & 2 – friends since high school from my home town of Keene, NH; Soxfather - my brother in law; Great Aunt = my elder sister; Cantankerous Friend – friend since grade school who likes to argue about everything, poses as radical leftist to attract women; Pittsburgh College Roommate – high school friend, also a “Minor Celebrity” in Pittsburgh; Deckzilla – our backyard deck which grew to monstrous dimensions once my wife got involved in planning; Maine and Virginia Musqueteras – two close friends of my wife – her US sisters, my wife is the 3^rd musquetera (musketeer); Buddy – AKA the Wonder Pooch – family dog, a black lab – hates squirrels, died in 2017; Riggins - also known as the Grandpuppy, son's dog, surrogate grandchild while awaiting arrival of the BRS; PanaGals – female relatives/friends of my wife from Panama; Panamanian/Latin Mafia – inevitable group of Latino friends my wife accumulates wherever we have lived & their spouses; Neighborhood Mafioso - wife's close friend and Panamanian mafia member, Favorite Panamanian - the wife (of course); First Friday – celebrations to mark the First Friday of the Week; Excellent Boss – my former direct boss at work; Deckzilla Dude – senior citizen carpenter/contractor; Voices of Inappropriate Worth - members of public who come to every Worcester public meeting to complain, all are on public assistance along with demeanor issues

Friday Rescue

Found Some More Photos From Easter
3 Beautiful Ladies on the Front Steps

Thank the good Lord Almighty that Friday has finally arrived to rescue flagging spirits summoned by the gaping hole left in the life of grandparents with the departure of the FBR. I may have waxed a little too poetic there but Friday always brings out the poet in me, well, more correctly the party animal but let’s not quibble. It’s been a fairly sedate week at the homestead which only pointed out how much energy the FBR induced in her short stay with us.

FBR Dressed Herself This Morning
Maybe I should Go with a Crown?

We checked in with her as usual at dinner time during which she demonstrated the proper demolition of a cup of whipped cream which she has apparently discovered and was very enthusiastic about (but who isn’t?). She also had big news in the day care department. She’ll be leaving her traditional day care setting for a more structured classroom type situation in a couple weeks. I’m excited because I know this young lady seeks out challenges and she’ll excel.

BRS Showing her Artistic Side

The BRS was less convivial last evening when we caught up with her. She was in full bellow mode as the ABFA scrambled to get her dinner ready which apparently was the cause of the discontent. At least she did not bite anybody at day care, second day in a row! She was still charming beyond belief. She’s also walking with more confidence each day which has my son devoting part of his weekend to further child proofing of doors and drawers which have become prime targets to the newly mobile BRS.

Helping the Self-Declared Master Easter Egg Hunter

Unicorns at Church!

Not Wanting to Pose After Church

Equipped for Drive Home

My Favorite Panamanian and I were watching an exciting hockey playoff game (okay that was mostly me) when we learned of the passing of Celtics legend John “Hondo” Havlicek. I was saddened because, back when the NBA was watchable, he was one of my favorite players from the dominant Celtics teams of the 1960s and 1970s, only behind Sam Jones and Bill Russell in my pantheon of heroes. I got to shake his hand and sit next to him on the bench when the Celtics came to my hometown for a pre-season practice in the late 1960s (back when they tried to connect with fans). I’ll remember those thirty seconds of sitting between Sam Jones and Hondo for the rest of my life. R.I.P. Hondo and thanks for all the bank shots and that incredible steal.

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RECURRING CHARACTERS                                           

BRS - Blog Reader the Sequel - second granddaughter; FBR - First Blog Reader - first granddaughter, ABFA – Amazing Best Family Athlete = my daughter in law, formerly known both as MEF – Most Excellent Fiancé & MEG – Most Excellent Girlfriend; Wingman – my son in law; Keene Friends 1 & 2 – friends since high school from my home town of Keene, NH; Soxfather - my brother in law; Great Aunt = my elder sister; Cantankerous Friend – friend since grade school who likes to argue about everything, poses as radical leftist to attract women; Pittsburgh College Roommate – high school friend, also a “Minor Celebrity” in Pittsburgh; Deckzilla – our backyard deck which grew to monstrous dimensions once my wife got involved in planning; Maine and Virginia Musqueteras – two close friends of my wife – her US sisters, my wife is the 3^rd musquetera (musketeer); Buddy – AKA the Wonder Pooch – family dog, a black lab – hates squirrels, died in 2017; Riggins - also known as the Grandpuppy, son's dog, surrogate grandchild while awaiting arrival of the BRS; PanaGals – female relatives/friends of my wife from Panama; Panamanian/Latin Mafia – inevitable group of Latino friends my wife accumulates wherever we have lived & their spouses; Neighborhood Mafioso - wife's close friend and Panamanian mafia member, Favorite Panamanian - the wife (of course); First Friday – celebrations to mark the First Friday of the Week; Excellent Boss – my former direct boss at work; Deckzilla Dude – senior citizen carpenter/contractor; Voices of Inappropriate Worth - members of public who come to every Worcester public meeting to complain, all are on public assistance along with demeanor issues

Beard Praise

Miss Being Able to Do this

Okay, so life does go on without the daily presence of granddaughters. Colors do not seem as sharp but there is definitely a lot more energy present at the end of the day on the grandparent side of the equation. My wife and I did get to see/speak with both the FBR and BRS last night so there was some alleviation of separation pangs. The ABFA also sent a bunch of pictures from Easter that helped. The FBR dutifully reported on her return to day care and detailed some of her adventures while trying to steal food from her mother’s plate whenever it was left unattended.

3 Devastatingly Beautiful Women

Getting Phone Technique Lessons from the Expert

The BRS also had some day care adventures to confess to, although she left it to my Favorite Son and the ABFA to relate them. Apparently the BRS has acquired a reputation for biting when annoyed with some of her fellow toddlers. The day care personnel have her on crime watch to intercede when needed. She’s also cutting three new teeth at once which probably explains the short temper although the emerging teeth do leave her better armed to inflict damage. She was strolling around the house last night stopping by the laundry basket to pull out clothes and then distribute them throughout the first floor. Riggins was in close attendance since the BRS had just completed dinner which meant a lot of food was adorned on her overalls which Riggins wanted to help clean.

With Other Grandmother - ABFA Mom

She Loves her Auntie

Please keep my younger sister and her husband in your prayers. He’s had a series of health challenges this year and was admitted a couple nights ago with a powerful infection in his lymph nodes as well as some heart issues. I’m so happy my sister finally found the love of her life, a bit late in the game, but so welcome after a number of graphic misses. I want her to keep on enjoying the remarkable life they’ve established together. She’s been at his side throughout the last couple days and needs whatever prayers/support we can send.

Back in Worcester there was a stunning upset in my Favorite Panamanian’s criticism campaign. She’s been after me to have my barber trim my beard because she doesn’t feel I’m qualified. She has me there because the Army never allowed me to build any credentials in that area and prior to that I was incapable of growing one. Anyways, I was visiting the barber yesterday to get my ears lowered and mentioned my wife’s almost daily admonitions. He said I was doing a great job and was actually going to compliment me on it. As a regular customer he would have offered to trim it if he felt the need. I raced home with this information which left my wife, as I said, a little stunned. So there.

That was not the only major upset yesterday in the marital situation. Hollywood seems to have collectively held its breath for this week’s release of Avengers and there wasn’t much to see at the movie theater. I wanted to see Hellboy but knowing the devoutly Catholic wife wouldn’t sign up to see a movie with a demon in the starring role. Against all odds she finally acquiesced, after securing a girl’s movie night with the Neighborhood Mafioso for tonight. In even a bigger surprise she enjoyed the movie so there may be hope for the future with CGI monster movies – one of my go to genres.

I don’t know why this had to be remade and I found myself constantly comparing the new Hellboy, David Harbour, to Ron Perlman, who would be  a tough act for anybody to follow. I know this movie is garnering almost universal scorn but I thought it was sneakily entertaining. I think they went a little overboard with graphic dismemberments which must have set some sort of cinematic record for a single movie. The plot jumped around a little too much but the action was constant and well done. The subtle humor of a huge demon stalking around was well handled and the supporting cast uniformly good. Milla played a helluva good dismembered witch queen if there is such a category. In the end I enjoyed the movie because it was a lot of good old stupid fun which is sometimes a welcome addition in this all too serious world.

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RECURRING CHARACTERS                                           

BRS - Blog Reader the Sequel - second granddaughter; FBR - First Blog Reader - first granddaughter, ABFA – Amazing Best Family Athlete = my daughter in law, formerly known both as MEF – Most Excellent Fiancé & MEG – Most Excellent Girlfriend; Wingman – my son in law; Keene Friends 1 & 2 – friends since high school from my home town of Keene, NH; Soxfather - my brother in law; Great Aunt = my elder sister; Cantankerous Friend – friend since grade school who likes to argue about everything, poses as radical leftist to attract women; Pittsburgh College Roommate – high school friend, also a “Minor Celebrity” in Pittsburgh; Deckzilla – our backyard deck which grew to monstrous dimensions once my wife got involved in planning; Maine and Virginia Musqueteras – two close friends of my wife – her US sisters, my wife is the 3^rd musquetera (musketeer); Buddy – AKA the Wonder Pooch – family dog, a black lab – hates squirrels, died in 2017; Riggins - also known as the Grandpuppy, son's dog, surrogate grandchild while awaiting arrival of the BRS; PanaGals – female relatives/friends of my wife from Panama; Panamanian/Latin Mafia – inevitable group of Latino friends my wife accumulates wherever we have lived & their spouses; Neighborhood Mafioso - wife's close friend and Panamanian mafia member, Favorite Panamanian - the wife (of course); First Friday – celebrations to mark the First Friday of the Week; Excellent Boss – my former direct boss at work; Deckzilla Dude – senior citizen carpenter/contractor; Voices of Inappropriate Worth - members of public who come to every Worcester public meeting to complain, all are on public assistance along with demeanor issues

Vacant Climbing Stools

Some Very Happy Grandparents

It was tough enough to say goodbye to our threenager boarder and her mother yesterday morning but luckily Monday provided the busiest day I’ve had at work in weeks to help compensate. The FBR has inherited her abuela’s ability to dominate space despite a distinct lack of physical stature. I’m going to miss the running hugs I got each evening when I returned home which were so reminiscent of her mother’s practice of same back in the 1980s. There are a thousand little reminders of her presence that tweak a little bit at the heart each time I walk by them. I’m reticent to move the living room stools which are in the bathrooms to let the very big girl wash her own hands. If I move them, that means she’s really not going to be breathlessly bouncing around a corner.

The Sadly Empty Stool

My Two Superstars

My daughter arrived on Saturday for her extraction mission and the FBR didn’t allow her mother to dismount he car before jumping in with one of her patented hugs. Mom’s arrival also seemed to dilute the need to be on her best behavior which we had marveled at over the past week. A tad of the old familiarity and contempt thang but she was still a delight to be around (well except for her post Easter drive melt down). It was cool to see them slip into their respective roles of mother and daughter and also cause for a few heart pangs after the daughter spent so much time in the past week reminding my Favorite Panamanian and I of her mother at the same age.

Mom's Back

Showing Mom how to Read

Writing hin her Journal

Shopping Buddies

I had a lot of fun preparing for the following morning’s Easter egg hunt. The FBR awoke Easter morning to find an overladen basket waiting outside her bedroom door. She wanted to play with that until I mentioned the fact the Easter bunny may have hidden some eggs downstairs. She and I were soon a two member team scouring the first floor. My job was to carry the soon to be overflowing basket while she was the hunter. She paused at one point to opine that she was in fact a very good Easter egg hunter. Who was I to challenge that assessment.

BRS Sighting

Easter Dinner

Cousins

We all bundled off for church services. My wife accompanied the FBR downstairs when the children left for their time away during the sermon. While down there the FBR stood up in the group and asked everyone to admire her Easter dress which had a prominent bunny. The girl loves an audience. Shortly thereafter we were headed for New Hampshire to share Easter dinner with the ABFA’s parents and, of course, the BRS.

New Hampshire Easter Egg Hunt

ABFA Prepping the BRS

My Favorite Son Assisting the Two Cousins

We all love celebrating with my son’s in laws and Sunday was no exception with the added benefit of yet another Easter egg hunt, this time outside. The BRS was in fine form and loved being amongst the bevy of cousins running around. There were the obligatory two dogs including the grandpuppy Riggins. It was the kind of Easter I remember from days before my parents split up when the entire extended family would gather. I think my father’s family motto should be, “There’s something special about cousins”. I can only hope the FBR and BRS grow up with annual days like last Sunday.

Inseparable

The ABFA’s parents were perfect hosts and my wife even let other people occasionally hold the BRS. They have obviously bonded as you can see a sneaky smile from the BRS when she hears my Favorite Panamanian’s distinctive voice. The FBR meanwhile figured out my son had some inside knowledge on Easter egg location and was soon milking him as a source during the hunt. I was so pleased that she was honestly excited about seeing both her aunt and uncle, again for the long game in the years ahead.

Cousins

The afternoon was all too short and we headed back to Worcester full of too much food and an alleged over indulgence on the author’s part when it came to Peanut Butter Blossom cookies. I soon found myself on the drive with three sleeping females and directions from the youngest not to play the radio too loud. After surviving (a near thing) the post drive melt down we had a very fun last evening together. My wife took the FBR down the street to stop in to see the Neighborhood Mafioso and the FBR returned with even more chocolate and sweets. She does know how to work a crowd.

Still Together

I know it borders on pathetic to have my happiness so intertwined with granddaughters but there it is, which made Monday’s departures so keenly felt. The drive back for my daughter wasn’t as smooth as mine a week earlier because we discovered that the FBR had somehow managed to delete the Netflix app from the IPad which meant entertainment duties fell to the driver, no mean task. Luckily they made good time and the FBR was soon educating Wingman on the intricacies of her new Paw Patrol control tower which sadly no longer populates my living room. It was good seeing them back together though. This is their time but I so appreciated the weeklong memories evoked by chasing after my daughter’s doppelganger.

Back to Worcester

Deckzilla Time

From Last Week When FBR Showed me How to Eat Cinnamon Rolls

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RECURRING CHARACTERS                                           

BRS - Blog Reader the Sequel - second granddaughter; FBR - First Blog Reader - first granddaughter, ABFA – Amazing Best Family Athlete = my daughter in law, formerly known both as MEF – Most Excellent Fiancé & MEG – Most Excellent Girlfriend; Wingman – my son in law; Keene Friends 1 & 2 – friends since high school from my home town of Keene, NH; Soxfather - my brother in law; Great Aunt = my elder sister; Cantankerous Friend – friend since grade school who likes to argue about everything, poses as radical leftist to attract women; Pittsburgh College Roommate – high school friend, also a “Minor Celebrity” in Pittsburgh; Deckzilla – our backyard deck which grew to monstrous dimensions once my wife got involved in planning; Maine and Virginia Musqueteras – two close friends of my wife – her US sisters, my wife is the 3^rd musquetera (musketeer); Buddy – AKA the Wonder Pooch – family dog, a black lab – hates squirrels, died in 2017; Riggins - also known as the Grandpuppy, son's dog, surrogate grandchild while awaiting arrival of the BRS; PanaGals – female relatives/friends of my wife from Panama; Panamanian/Latin Mafia – inevitable group of Latino friends my wife accumulates wherever we have lived & their spouses; Neighborhood Mafioso - wife's close friend and Panamanian mafia member, Favorite Panamanian - the wife (of course); First Friday – celebrations to mark the First Friday of the Week; Excellent Boss – my former direct boss at work; Deckzilla Dude – senior citizen carpenter/contractor; Voices of Inappropriate Worth - members of public who come to every Worcester public meeting to complain, all are on public assistance along with demeanor issues